Sausage Bean Tuscan Soup
Easy, High-Protein, and Naturally Gluten-Free

Our Tuscan soup for the slow cooker is a flavorful combination of Italian sausage, cannellini beans, diced tomatoes, and kale. It's high in protein, is gluten-free, and only takes 15 minutes of simple prep to start. 

You can set your slow cooker on LOW and cook the soup for 6-8 hours. Then when you get home or whenever you're about ready to eat, just add the chopped kale. When it reaches the tenderness you prefer, 

Every spoonful is brimming with delicious flavor and a bounty of nutrients.

Sausage Bean Tuscan Soup for the Slow Cooker

We are using cannellini beans, sometimes called white kidney beans, in this soup. They are often used in Italian dishes and are the largest of the white beans. 

They are tender and have a wholesome, earthy flavor.  A 1/2 cup serving of these delicious beans has 100 calories, 7 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fiber. In addition to being gluten-free, they are also fat free, cholesterol free and are a good source of potassium.

Since we are using canned beans, it's okay to add the tomatoes in the beginning, along with the other ingredients. If you were to start with dried beans, then you would want to add the tomatoes at the end, when you add the kale. The reason: the acid in the tomatoes can keep dried beans from reaching the creamy tenderness you desire.

Sausage Bean Tuscan Soup

Print PDF

Ingredients for Sausage Bean Tuscan Soup

1 pound ground Italian sausage 1 medium onion, peeled and diced 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 3 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces), undrained ½ teaspoon dried rosemary ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional ½ teaspoon black pepper 6 cups chicken broth 3 cups chopped kale, rinsed Parmesan cheese for optional garnish

Directions for Sausage Bean Tuscan Soup

1. Cook: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, onions, and garlic until the meat is brown and the onions are soft and translucent. Drain off the grease. 
2. Add the browned meat mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker.
3. Add beans: Pour the beans into a colander to drain off the packing liquid, then rinse with running water. This added step helps ensure you're only adding the good flavor of the beans to your soup.
4. Add tomatoes: Add the undrained can of tomatoes. 
5. Add the seasonings -  Add the rosemary, crushed red pepper flakes, and black pepper. 
6. Add: Add the chicken broth. Stir to combine.
7. Cook: With lid on, cook for 6-8 hours LOW or 3-4 hours on HIGH.
8. Add and cook: Stir in the chopped kale. Cook on HIGH for an additional 15 minutes or until the kale is tender. 
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
10. Ladle soup into bowls and top with grated or shaved Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

1. Home
 ›
2. Savory Bean Soups
 ›
3. Sausage Bean Tuscan Soup